Draft-gear.



Hfc. PRIEBE.

DRAFT. GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I7 I9I5.

fd. w10/ Patented Oct. 10,1916.

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m. NN bw Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

H. C. PRIEBE.

DRAFT GEAR.

APPLICATION FILEDl MAY l2. 1915.

fier/73427, Pfae FFI@ HERMAN C. PRIBE, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-GEAR.

Application led May 17, 1915.

To all whom t may concer/n:

Be it known that I, HERMAN C. Pinnen, citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Draft-Gears, of

. which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to draft gear for coupling railway vehicles and has for its object the provision of improved means for transferring motion from moving parts of the gear to other parts which are to resist the movement of the former parts. As I have practised my invention I have caused a device made in accordance therewith to place motion resisting springs under increasing compression as the gear is operated from a state of rest, though I do not limit myself to the employment of a. spring as a motion resisting agency.

The device of my invention desirably includes two rockers each individual to a follower of the gear and both related kto a motion resisting means preferably by being in direct engagement with each other, though the invention is not to be limited to this characteristic.

The accompanying drawings show the preferred form of the invention and in these drawings Figure 1 is a plan view, partially in section, showing a form of my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation, mainly in central longitudinal section, of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 and 5 are views of parts as they appear in Fig. 2 in differing positions.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The gear illustrated includes a coupler 1 having a shank 2 which is suitably connected with a yoke structure, the yoke structure illustrated including straps 3 through which openings 4 and 5 are provided for the reception of keys 6 and 7 each of which oonstitutes a form of follower, the opening 4 permitting the outer follower to move inwardly with respect to the yoke when the coupler is subject to a sufficient pushing strain while the openings 5 .permit the inner Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Serial No. 28,660.

follower 7 to m'ove outwardly when the coupler is subject to a sufficient pulling strain. The keys 6 and 7 also project through openings 8 and 9 in the cheek plates 10 and 11 which are secured to the center sills 12 and 13, the openings 9 registering with the openings 5 and corresponding openings in the center sills when the gear is not under stress, the openings S similarly registering with the openings 4 and similar openings in the center sills excepting that the openings 4 extend utwardly beyond the openings 8 to afford sufficient freedom for lateral movement of the coupler, the outer follower plate 6 receiving inward thrusts from the coupler shank while the inner follower plate 7 receives its outward pull from the coupler yoke 3, these characteristics being present in connection with the peculiar form of coupler shown (which is claimed in my co-pending application Seria-l No. 28,661, filed May 17, 1915, executed of even date herewith) but to whichform of coupler the present invention is not to be limited.

ITI/'here' the followers are in the form of keys, as illustrated, these keys are desirably projected laterally beyond the vertical walls of the center sills, the Cotter pins 14 maintaining these keys and the center sills in assembly. The opposed transverse edges of the followers G and 7 are preferably seinicylindrical and are received within semicylindrical pockets 15, 16 that are formed in the stems of rockers 17 and 18. These rockers are shown as being interposed between the yoke sides 3 to prevent their displacement laterally of the gear while said rockers are also provided with outwardly diverging arms 19, 20, 21, 22, the outer fol lower being disposed between the outer arms 19 and 20, while the inner follower 7 is disposed between the inner arms 21 and 22. The arms that belong to each rocker converge to have their opposed edges merge with their associate rocker pocket whereby these edges virtually constitute continuations of walls of such pocket and said arms constitute vpocket extensions. By this construction the rockers and followers are readily assembled and maintained in assembly.

The rockers are shown as having direct engagement with each other and the opposed faces thereof are curved or cam-shaped so that each rocker will co-act with the other draft.

and serve as a resistance therefor to force the rockers to swing in a vertical plane upon coupler movement, though I do not wish to be limited to the direct engagement of the rockers for this purpose. The motion resisting mechanism which I preferably employ includes a spring structure 23 resting upon a .seat 24 which is provided at the lower end of a seat carrier25 which is secured to the bottom flanges of the center sills l2 and 13, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 8. The spring mechanism 23 and its seat are thus 'desirably disposed below the gear but to which disposition the invention `is not to be limited. The upper end of the spring mechanism engages a vertically movable follower 26 which is in engagement with the lower horizontal edges of the rockers. The spacing between the axis of each rocker pocket (constituting the axis of movement for such rocker) and the curved cam surface of the corresponding rocker increases from the top to the bottom of the rocker or toward the springs whereby the cam portions of the rockers are moved downwardly whenever either follower 6 or 7 of the gear is moved toward its companion whereby the spring follower 26 is depressed against the fdrce of the spring mechanism 23. The engaging curved ends of the rockers preferably operate upon the motion resisting spring mechanism transversely to the line of The result which occurs when the outer follower 6 is moved inwardly is indicated in Fig. t and the result which occurs when the inner follower 7 moves outwardly is indicated in Fig. 5. Thecurvature of each of the opposed engaging curved faces of the rockers is designed to suit the extent of spring compression which is desired and suitably relating such compression to the coupler movements. The spring mechanism 23, in expanding, will reverse the movement of the rockers and will restore or tend to restore the actuated follower 6 or 7 to its normal position.

Vhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without de- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by Afuihess'ing 'the Commissioner parting from the spirit of my invention, but

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A draft gear including a coupler; inner Vand outer followers actuated thereby and movable each toward the other; means for resisting the approach of either follower toward the other; and two rockers, one individual to each follower and movable thereby, for transferring motion from the followers to the aforesaid means7 these rockers having opposed engaging curved faces, the curvature of each face having its distance from the axis of the rocker having such face increased as said means is approached by such curvature.

2. A draft gear including a coupler; inner and outer followers actuated thereby and movable each toward the other; means for resisting the approach of either follower toward the other; and two rockers having opposed engaging faces and serving to transfer motion from the followersto the aforesaid means, the engaging ends of said rockers acting together upon the aforesaid meansk in a direction transverse tothe line of draft.

3. A draft gear including a coupler; inner and outer followers actuated thereby and movable each toward the other; means for resisting the approach of either follower toward the other; and two rockers having opposed engagingcurved faces and serving to transfer motion from the followers to the aforesaid means, the curvature of each face having its distance from the 4axis of the rocker having such face increased as the aforesaid means is approached by such curvature, the engaging ends of said rockers acting together upon the aforesaid means in a direction transverse lto the line of draft.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe Iny name this twelfth day of May A. D., 1915.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE.

Witnesses:

G. L. CRAGG, ETTA L. WHITE.

of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

